ESL General English Grammar Questions

Re: Assume

CalifJim — Wed, 29 Dec 2004 17:40:56 GMT

"in future" for British English. "in the future" for American English.

1. Correct.
2. Wrong. "... what you would like to do ..." is the correct form.
The question part (requiring inversion of "you have" to "have you") is correct. That's the main clause. The second clause is subordinate, so it does not invert "you would" to "would you".
3. Correct with "never". There's no problem using "never" or "ever" with the past perfect tense. (Off topic: "like you" is more idiomatic that "such as you".)

CJ

Re: Assume

maverick88 — Wed, 29 Dec 2004 14:35:52 GMT

Hey CJ thanks and please check the following sentences:

1# I have never asked myself what I would like to do in future.
Is it correct grammatically?

2# Have you ever asked yourself what would you like to do in future?

3# Before I met you I had (never) known any person such as you.
Is it correct to use here the "never" here, in past perfect? Is it possible at all to use past perfect with "never\ever"? How should it be written?

Re: Assume

CalifJim — Wed, 29 Dec 2004 02:44:38 GMT

so in 2# you wrote "who the burglars were" and this isn't a complete sentence right? I have to add smth in the beginning. It should be "who were the burglars?" if we want to regard it as a complete sentence,(1#) right?

Yes, that's right.

And please check these ones:
2# Who are you?
3# I don't know who you are.
4# Apparently you are a cop.

All are correct.
#2 is a question.
#3 is a statement. The subordinate clause "who you are" does not use inversion, which is correct.
#4 is a statement. It has only one clause, and that clause is not a question, so no inversion should be used. It is correct.

CJ

Re: Assume

maverick88 — Tue, 28 Dec 2004 14:07:26 GMT

So if "be" is the only verb in the sentence it comes brfore the noun?
so in 2# you wrote "who the burglars were" and this isn't a complete sentence right? I have to add smth in the beginning. It should be "who were the burglars?" if we want to regard it as a complete sentence,(1#) right?

And please check these ones:
2# Who are you?
3# I don't know who you are.
4# Apparently you are a cop.

4# has only one verb but it will sound odd if I put this verb before the noun.

Thanks

Re: Assume

CalifJim — Tue, 28 Dec 2004 02:18:49 GMT

"the burglers" is the subject of the clause.

You might think of it this way:

Form 1: The burglars were who? (Not used much, this is called an echo question.)
Form 2: who the burglars were ("who" moves to the beginning. Not a complete sentence - used only as subordinate clause in another sentence.)
In a complete sentence: It was quite a while before we discovered who the burglars were.
Form 3: Who were the burglars? ("were" - the first verb - the only verb in this case - moves in front of the subject. This is a main clause - an interrogative clause.)

When the verb is not "to be", the first two forms are the same; the third form adds "do" (called "do-support"):

1: You put the pizza where?
2: ... where you put the pizza. (In a complete sentence: I can't imagine where you put the pizza.)
3: Where did you put the pizza?

CJ

Re: Assume

maverick88 — Mon, 27 Dec 2004 23:42:02 GMT

1# Who were the burglars?
2# Does anyone know who the burglars were?

What is the grammatical rules for the structure of these sentences. I mean when I say "who are you" and (the incorrect form) "who you are". So in which cases the verb be (are\is\was\whatever) comes after the noun and in which before?
thank you

Re: Assume

maverick88 — Mon, 27 Dec 2004 13:11:53 GMT

Yeah it should have been "theY".
Thanks

Re: Assume

CalifJim — Sun, 26 Dec 2004 23:46:51 GMT

All three correct!

(I'm sure you meant "who they were" on the last line.)

It's a bit more idiomatic to ask (first sentence) "Does anyone know who ..."

Good work.

Re: Assume

maverick88 — Sun, 26 Dec 2004 22:57:13 GMT

A: "Does someone know who the burglars were?"
B: "Who were they?"
A: " Why do YOU ask me who the were? You should tell me the answer!!!"

Completely senseless conversation but I would like these sentences to be checked anyway. {Is this sentence correct ???}

Thanks in advance

Re: Assume

CalifJim — Sun, 26 Dec 2004 17:57:25 GMT

Use subject-verb inversion and do-support with main clauses which ask questions (unless questioning the subject, of course).
Do not use inversion with the corresponding subordinate clauses (indirect questions).

Who was he? / Nobody knows who he was.
What did you put on the shelf? / I don't know what you put on the shelf.
Where has he gone? / I'll bet you can't guess where he has gone.
What is the difference between these methods? / I can see that you have no idea what the difference is between these methods.
Why did he leave everything on the table? / We were unable to determine why he left everything on the table.
Are you concerned that you won't pass the test? / I wonder if you are concerned that you won't pass the test. [Note the addition of "if" when transforming a yes-no question to an indirect question structure.]
When will the documents be ready? / In our office there is complete confusion about when the documents will be ready.
Can you see it? / I have no idea whether you can see it. [Note "whether", which can substitute for "if" in these constructions.]
How much was that package of ribbons? / The clerk had to find out how much that package of ribbons was.

In my experience what bothers learners most about these patterns is a form of the verb "to be" left at the end of the sentence. I don't know why. It is correct!

I don't know [what the problem is / where John was / who the strangers were / how much it is ].

Re: Assume

CalifJim — Sun, 26 Dec 2004 17:40:10 GMT

The three are very close in meaning. "Presume" is probably less used than the other two.

"Presuming" is often considered a negative. It's not considered good behavior to be presumptuous.

"I don't know what Mary's problem is. She just presumes I have nothing to do but help her whenever she needs something done."

"Don't presume that Robert will come with us. He's very busy with other matters just now."

"assume" could substitute for "presume" in either of the two statements above - "suppose" less convincingly.

In mathematics, "Suppose that line AB intersects line CD". "assume" can substitute for "suppose", but not "presume".

Of the three, "presume" is the least objective, the most involved with personal interrelationships.

Re: Assume

maverick88 — Sun, 26 Dec 2004 13:07:03 GMT

I can't catch on to the difference between "suppose" and "presume", can put a few examples please? A dictionary I fould I net. says: suppose = presume to be true. Is it relevant?
Thanks and another auestion: which one is correct:
1) Nobody knows who was he.
1) Nobody knows who he was.

I know that it's a stupid question but I am confused

Re: Assume

CalifJim — Sun, 26 Dec 2004 01:02:11 GMT

When you presume something, you guess that it is reasonable or possible without full knowledge.
When you suppose something, you hesitantly and objectively subscribe to its likelihood, sometimes out of seeming disinterest.
When you assume something, you take it for granted without proof but sometimes on safe, if incomplete, grounds.

(American Heritage Dictionary)

"Please tell me what you think" is the correct form. It is obligatory to remove the "do"!
Neither form is slang. One is right; the other is wrong.

Assume

maverick88 — Sat, 25 Dec 2004 23:58:01 GMT

1) What is the difference between:
Assume,presume,suppose
I think "suppose" implies about thoughs more than the others.
Please tell me what do you think {2)In slang I sometimes hear the "do" like in this sentence obviated. Is the "do" essential here?}

Thanks